Precision articles of manufacture, such as gas turbine buckets may be manufactured or repaired with processes which require the formation of a plurality of holes in between an outer surface of the bucket and an internal channel or cavity. Finishing the manufacture or repair of such articles may require closing the plurality of holes. However, depending on the material from which the article is formed, the conformations of the plurality of holes, and the quantity of the plurality of holes, closing the plurality of holes may be difficult, costly, or time intensive. Standard welding techniques may undesirably deposit material into the internal channel or cavity beneath the plurality of holes and take an undesirable amount of time to close all of the plurality of holes. Other options for closing the plurality of holes, such as inserting pre-sintered preform plugs, may be economically inefficient due to the high cost of the pre-sintered preform material, the precise machining of the plugs necessary for proper joining, and the time and effort required to close the plurality of holes.